The Exceptional Leaders Network Spotlight with Mai Ling Chan

Mai Ling Chan 00:00 
Hi, it's just me today. And since James Burgess is away, I want to take an opportunity to connect with you directly as our exceptional leader. Imagine logging into a platform where everyone understands what you're talking about already, right? 

Mai Ling Chan 00:19 
Like speaks your language. You don't have to explain why disability matters because they already know. Welcome to the Exceptional Leaders podcast. I'm Nailing Chan, and together with James Burgess, we're getting you top tips and resources for building and scaling your disability focused offerings straight from the forefront of disability advocacy and leadership. 

Mai Ling Chan 00:43 
So I wanted to take a moment and let's just think about this question. When was the last time you tried explaining your disability accessibility inclusive focused business to someone outside your field? 

Mai Ling Chan 00:56 
Did they really get it? You know, that look, the polite nod, the vague, oh, that's interesting, but they just don't really understand the impact that you're trying to create. I actually had that experience a number of years ago when I was in a very high level women's networking group. 

Mai Ling Chan 01:12 
And I would stand and introduce myself. Hi, I'm Nailing Chan. I'm a speech language pathologist and I am CEO of the company I was with at the time. And afterwards, people would come up to me and say, Oh, you're a speech therapist. 

Mai Ling Chan 01:26 
You know, I have a nephew who has autism or my husband had a stroke. And I would, of course, you know, immediately connect with them on that. But, you know, my, my platform and the reason that I was there was really to talk about the continuing education platform that I was creating, or I really wanted to get people that were going to help support me in a local initiative that I was doing. 

Mai Ling Chan 01:48 
But really, all they could hear was what they understood and what they could readily connect with, which is, oh, speech language pathologist. So today, I'm going to share something that's been truly game. 

Mai Ling Chan 02:00 
changing for advocates and entrepreneurs just like you and I say exceptional because that's the word that we've been using for this broader category rather than special needs or disability because it all started because I faced these same challenges that you are facing and it was not a straight shot journey from May has an idea to everything is all successful and I'm exiting companies so I just wanted to connect with you directly and take you on this like journey with me to where I'm at now and what I'm wanting to offer you so my next question is have you ever felt like you're building something amazing but you're doing it all alone and you're so passionate about making this huge difference in the disability and accessibility and inclusive spaces but sometimes it speaks like feels like you're speaking a totally different language when you're in these traditional business networking groups or outside of maybe your specific professional fishbowl, 

Mai Ling Chan 02:57 
right? So that all the SLPs talking to each other, we totally understand. But when you get out of that and you're at your small business association meeting, it's just a little, it's a little more difficult and it takes you longer to explain that elevator pitch, right? 

Mai Ling Chan 03:12 
So that's exactly what I learned when I started interviewing other exceptional leaders like yourself right here on this podcast. And we are in our seventh season, which is absolutely incredible. And we've completed over 175 interviews with amazing people just like you. 

Mai Ling Chan 03:30 
And every conversation actually revealed something truly fascinating. And it was connected across the board. So whether it was about AAC, the new ADHD, people getting diagnosis like myself with ADHD and needing support systems, fascinating AI innovation, autism advocacy, inclusive fashion, all across these different topics, we have found the same common thread. 

Mai Ling Chan 03:57 
And that's that we are all facing similar challenges and especially during these crucial startup and formative years for your business, which is usually like that zero to five stage. It's the same things, you know, just wrapped up in different ways. 

Mai Ling Chan 04:13 
And so I just want you to take a moment, think about your own journey. So have you ever wished that you could talk to somebody who really understands these unique challenges of entrepreneurship, startup, nonprofit organization, product creation in our specific niche, right? 

Mai Ling Chan 04:31 
So someone who's really understanding that this is not for everyone. It's really for a smaller niche group of people, right? And have you ever felt just overwhelmed by trying to balance your passion and your advocacy and wanting to change the world with the minutia of actually building and growing your business? 

Mai Ling Chan 04:50 
You know, I'll tell you, I worked on a email drip campaign for an entire Sunday. a couple weekends ago and I couldn't believe it. It took me hours and hours and hours to figure out all the tech, to figure out all of the text. 

Mai Ling Chan 05:04 
And yes, I did use chat GPT to help, but then figuring out exactly how I wanted to do it and all of these details when I was like, gosh, I just want to get to the juicy part, which is connecting with somebody who wants to be a part of what I'm doing, right? 

Mai Ling Chan 05:19 
And so at this stage, do you ever wonder, my gosh, how do other people do it? Like me, who is not a marketing expert or a technology and software expert on every platform or an accountant, and I want you to know that I heard these same issues in every interview. 

Mai Ling Chan 05:38 
And so I hope that you go back and you listen to previous interviews with our guests because they share this. They say how hard it was in the initial couple of years and what they had to do to overcome these challenges. 

Mai Ling Chan 05:52 
And then eventually they do get to the point where they can hire out because that's what we need. We need to make money so that we can hire support. So in reviewing all of this, I've always known that we needed other platforms to connect with people. 

Mai Ling Chan 06:06 
And so one was a podcast which brought me to the Becoming Exceptional Leaders series of books. And I am so proud of what we have done in those spaces, dealing or sharing people's stories of people who are people with disabilities, parents of people with disabilities, people that are servicing and providing resources and therapies to people in these spaces. 

Mai Ling Chan 06:30 
And then this broader understanding of, hey, what we're creating is not just for someone who has a disability, but it's for all people. Because at some point we may have a disability or maybe we just wear glasses, which is me nowadays because I have to wear reading glasses and I switch to my computer glasses. 

Mai Ling Chan 06:48 
And so it's not just this niche area of disability, right? And so I've known that we need a place where those of us like you who are listening right now, that we need a place to come together and be able to support each other and really grow what we're doing and collaborate and make real impact. 

Mai Ling Chan 07:08 
So that's where the Exceptional Leaders Network was born. And so you see, each of these 175 plus interviews have taught me something so powerful. And that's when people like you, entrepreneurs, advocates come together, true magic happens. 

Mai Ling Chan 07:23 
We're not just sharing stories. We're creating solutions, building bridges, transforming lives. And that's exactly what I wanted to capture and nurture in this new Exceptional Leaders Network community. 

Mai Ling Chan 07:35 
So you might be thinking, and I know this May, I'm already on LinkedIn. And LinkedIn is a great professional network. I'm gonna put that in quotes. Not everybody is embracing it as fully as you can. So some people barely have a profile. 

Mai Ling Chan 07:49 
So if you have an egghead, I call it that for your profile picture, go back two day, please, and switch that out to your most recent professional picture that represents you and what you do and fill out the profiles as much as you can and definitely put in all of your awards and books and anything that you've done because LinkedIn has really become an amazing community for people to connect. 

Mai Ling Chan 08:15 
And that's how I've built three of my business is really just reaching on LinkedIn and saying, hey, this is what I'm doing. I love what you're doing. I would love to have you on the podcast or I would love to have you create a course for my software platform or whatever it is. 

Mai Ling Chan 08:29 
So I do highly recommend LinkedIn, but what's different about the Exceptional Leaders Network is that we are very, very specific to just our niche. So let me just paint this picture for you. Imagine logging into a platform where everyone understands what you're talking about already. 

Mai Ling Chan 08:50 
Right? Like, speaks your language. You don't have to explain why disability matters because they already know. You don't have to explain why we need therapy services or why this specific area is more needed, why we need accessible clothing, why we need to be inclusive. 

Mai Ling Chan 09:07 
You know, all of that is already there because we are already in an inclusive community. So, I know what you're thinking is another subscription, another cost. But, you know, I want you to think about if you are, if you've considered the LinkedIn Premium, that can cost anywhere from $40 to $100 per month for this general business network and I have done it. 

Mai Ling Chan 09:29 
I want you to know I did it and I was like, oh, you know, I do LinkedIn Premium and I can reach out to as many people as I want. And guess what? People don't like that. I actually, I will tell you, when people reach out to me on the paid side and so when you're logged in, you can see whether it's paid or just a non-paid version. 

Mai Ling Chan 09:47 
I actually don't even barely read it. It's the people that use their free services that really mean something to me because they've taken the time to write something that is specific and unique to me. 

Mai Ling Chan 09:58 
And I know that it's, I just feel like it's more valuable than them sending out a blast to everybody who is, you know, that they can access from that Premium version. I could just tell the difference. 

Mai Ling Chan 10:10 
So, in comparison to that, the Exceptional Leaders Network right now in April of 2025 is only $19 a month. And here's the real difference is that instead of sorting through thousands of unrelated connections, so yes, they might be all speech-language pathologists, but maybe they're not specifically invested in private practice. 

Mai Ling Chan 10:31 
And that's a big deal, right? So, now you have to niche down. In their profile, did they actually put the words private practice because that's how you would be able to segment, right? So, instead of going through this huge, huge version, a vast network, you're actually getting direct access to a focused community that have opted in and they want to be here with you in this membership, in my membership, 

Mai Ling Chan 10:54 
in my community. So we've created something that's just so much better than traditional networking platforms. So it has, just so you know, the Exceptional Leaders Network has these features. Once you log in, there is an AI-powered search engine that searches everything, which is incredible. 

Mai Ling Chan 11:10 
So it'll search every video replay, every podcast interview that we've uploaded, any of the PDFs we have, and the members profile, which I will get to telling you how it is so much better than LinkedIn. 

Mai Ling Chan 11:23 
So if you're looking for like the keyword of AAC, you're going to go immediately to a whole list of resources that have that specific keyword in there. It also links the podcast conversation so like this, honestly, I don't have time to listen to all the podcasts that I have downloaded on my phone. 

Mai Ling Chan 11:42 
I have so many previous ones and you probably do too. I know you're nodding your head yes. So what this powerful software does is you can either listen to it on a faster speed, which I do sometimes. I can do the 1.5 and sometimes the 2, but 1.5 is my limit. 

Mai Ling Chan 11:59 
And then we also have transcription so you can just read through it, which I love. Or again, you can use a keyword and it'll pull up all of the podcasts that have that in there. And so maybe you're doing a deep dive, let's say, into AAC. 

Mai Ling Chan 12:14 
And so you can listen to the five guests that we've had over the six seasons who are specifically talking about AAC. I mean, it's just incredible. You also get access to the monthly power chat replay. 

Mai Ling Chan 12:25 
So once a month, we're talking about a specific topic. If you can't be there, you can just keyword search. It's incredible. Then we also have an amazing member directory and all that information is there. 

Mai Ling Chan 12:37 
If you're like me, you can't get enough of books, podcasts, blogs and other ways to find out how to create, grow and scale. That's why I brought together 43 disability focused leaders to give you more of what you're looking for. 

Mai Ling Chan 12:49 
You will hear their stories in three bestselling books, which focus on general offerings, augmentative and alternative communication and speech language pathology. I invite you to search for becoming an exceptional leader on Amazon so you can learn intimate startup pearls of wisdom and keep growing your brilliant idea. 

Mai Ling Chan 13:10 
Now let's get back to today's topic. What I think really sets us apart is the actual live power chats and the member directory. And so let me just tell you very briefly that the power chats are game changing because every month we dive into a topic that matters to you. 

Mai Ling Chan 13:27 
So we're talking about, let's say, personal development, time management that's specific for our field. on tools and resources, marketing approaches, which is amazing and they're respectful and specific to our disability language and culture. 

Mai Ling Chan 13:42 
And we even talked about business retirement strategies. Like, yes, that day is coming. I mean, I can't even believe that. So each moment we focus on these topics that our community that you have told us matter the most and are going to help you to grow your business the most. 

Mai Ling Chan 13:55 
So we're not just throwing this general business advice at you. We're diving deep into these specific challenges that I've heard over 175 episodes. So the power chats, they include an introduction by the attendees that are there. 

Mai Ling Chan 14:11 
So we are able to do a couple of them that get online and they talk about what you're doing, what you're working on. And then we do a focused topic presentation and that unites us and empowers us. And then we have a group discussion and we add our own tips and other things that are related to that topic. 

Mai Ling Chan 14:28 
And then the best part is, we have amazing guest hosts joining us, like Brooke Brown. She's former Miss Wheelchair Arizona 2022, and she's sharing her expertise on public speaking with us. And then we have Todd Houston, who's a highly accomplished SLP and continuing education leader, and he's discussing business pivots. 

Mai Ling Chan 14:46 
Like seriously, you start out doing one thing and it's like, you know what? This might not be the best use of my time. And so he's going to talk about how he has done that successfully. And then Michelle Paley, she's a former Amazon Web Services Director and assistive technology marketing expert, providing specific tips and strategies for how we can do emails, create our websites, I mean, you name it. 

Mai Ling Chan 15:11 
And I just feel that in and of itself, she's a goal mind. So let me share a perfect example of a game changing conversation that happened in one of our power chats. And that's with Dr. Michelle Barber. 

Mai Ling Chan 15:23 
She's an SLP and co-founder of Easy Report Pro. And she recently led an incredible discussion about AI in our field. And now I know you might be thinking, AI, really? But that's what makes this so powerful because Michelle wasn't just talking about AI. 

Mai Ling Chan 15:38 
She's actually using it and creating it to revolutionize IEP report writing software. Because she knows us. She knows our language. She knows what we need. And one of the really important pieces of what she talks about is ethics, right? 

Mai Ling Chan 15:52 
And discrimination and equality. And that is a very hot topic in 2025 for us as disability leaders. So our members were absolutely buzzing about this session. And to be honest, you know, in 2025, we're all still trying to figure out what AI really means for disability advocacy and entrepreneurship. 

Mai Ling Chan 16:12 
And Michelle did such a great job of breaking it down in a practical way, sharing actual tools that we can use to streamline our workload. And, you know, you could you could just see that aha moment of people going, oh, OK. 

Mai Ling Chan 16:25 
That, you know, this has saved me hours of time. going out there and actually trying to figure out ChatTPT or trying to figure out these other platforms because she was like, you know, I'm an expert and this is what I think, you know, would be beneficial. 

Mai Ling Chan 16:38 
So it wasn't just the technical knowledge but it's coming from somebody from inside our community who really understands our challenges and was showing us how to navigate these new technologies. And that's the beauty of ELN, the Exceptional Leaders Network, is we're learning from peers who truly understand our work and our mission. 

Mai Ling Chan 16:58 
And the other thing is our members are from all over the world. They could actually live in the US but then they're traveling and you can join from anywhere and that's what I love. And then we also have people who are global members. 

Mai Ling Chan 17:10 
So example is we had Jake Lin who's an amazing disability advocate and entertainment consultant and he was sharing and joining from Israel and Sumilai Munroon-Roj. She's contributing her expertise. from Thailand. 

Mai Ling Chan 17:23 
These global perspectives transform our conversations into rich, multicultural exchanges about advocacy and entrepreneurship. Please don't worry about the time zones because all of our power chats are recorded and transcribed, like I said, and so you can always go back and you can read the transcript, listen to it on a faster speed from anywhere in the world. 

Mai Ling Chan 17:45 
I just have found that so amazing for me also. As a member, I also want to let you know that you could be our next guest host. Just like here on the podcast, I think it would be amazing for you to share your value and your expertise to us, because that's what this whole membership is about. 

Mai Ling Chan 18:03 
So let me tell you about the other favorite feature of Yellen and that is our member directory. And that's because it isn't just any directory. As I said, it is so much better than LinkedIn because it's specifically designed to spotlight our disability and inclusion niche. 

Mai Ling Chan 18:17 
So when you first join, you'll notice that you get these profile questions and instead of just generic professional fields, we ask specifically, what is your expertise in this space? What are your awards that you've earned or your areas that you're looking for? 

Mai Ling Chan 18:34 
What are the populations you serve? What is your specific background? And you're going to see options like occupational therapist, speech language pathologist, special education teacher, and then the more generic technology educator, because this is such an eclectic group of people that end up becoming disability and inclusive entrepreneurs and advocates. 

Mai Ling Chan 18:55 
It's just incredible. But then the real value comes in where we say, what are the areas where you can add value to the community? And so maybe it's, I'm looking for people to be on my podcast. I'm creating a documentary. 

Mai Ling Chan 19:08 
I'm looking for blog postwriters. And then you're going to see other people's, what they put in their fields because they're looking for you. And the other thing is what type of connections are you looking to make, like a collaboration connection? 

Mai Ling Chan 19:22 
support connection, a mentorship connection. And so we really get down to the granular level on what do you want to get out of your $19 a month or whatever the subscription is for that month. Because this is what we're all thinking of, is if I'm going to pay this money, what am I getting out of it? 

Mai Ling Chan 19:40 
And it's so important for me that you are connecting with members and potential collaborators and people who can help you. And that's the reason why I'm creating this. And so I would say this is a power tip is don't just complete your profile once. 

Mai Ling Chan 19:56 
Make sure you keep going back and updating because maybe there's new projects you're working on or there's things that you've added to your expertise. So we want to make sure that we know. you know, what it is that you're working on, because you never know when someone's going to go in and see your profile. 

Mai Ling Chan 20:12 
So yes, it's like LinkedIn, but so much better. So let me share a story about something that happened recently with our friend Bruce Stolson. He has this amazing story that I think may resonate with you. 

Mai Ling Chan 20:24 
You know, when you join a membership and then you're like, what did I do? I really don't need this. And then you cancel, right? Because you didn't have the time or you didn't see the value of it. So Bruce initially joined the Exceptional Leaders Network as soon as it launched back in July of 2024 as a founding member. 

Mai Ling Chan 20:40 
And he was really excited about the potential. And he really, you know, he told me that, wow, I really feel like this is a unique community. But a couple of months after joining, his project really wasn't moving forward as quickly as he'd hoped. 

Mai Ling Chan 20:53 
And he did some research and some prioritizing, and he just decided to put on a hold. And so it's understandable, you know, he just felt that he didn't see a direct need with the community. But here's the beautiful part is he recently reached back out to me personally with a few questions. 

Mai Ling Chan 21:08 
And after talking to him and, you know, trying to help him to figure out what the scope of his project was and what the next steps were, he realized and ended up coming back to the ELN community because he's working on this incredible project, connecting adults with autism to podcasting resources. 

Mai Ling Chan 21:26 
I mean, it's just perfect. And he is a community of exceptional leaders who understand both the disability space and entrepreneurship was absolutely invaluable to help him with identifying additional collaborators, resources and things to help push his project forward. 

Mai Ling Chan 21:43 
So that's just one amazing story. And I have another one to share about quickly getting meaningful connections. So let me share Maddie Murray-Tegels. She's one of our founding members also. When I first had the idea for ELN, it was just a simple email question that I sent out and it was, would you be interested in this kind of community? 

Mai Ling Chan 22:05 
And Maddie didn't just say yes, she jumped in. in with both feet on day one. And you know what happened is almost immediately, she connected with another member, Brooke Brown, who was working on a really important project. 

Mai Ling Chan 22:17 
And together they collaborated and now Brooke has a beautiful first segment of her memoir because that's what Maddie's focus is right now. She's working on helping people to create memoirs. And isn't that incredible? 

Mai Ling Chan 22:30 
Because now in this space, sharing stories is so important and that's how you build connection and understanding. And so Brooke just recently sent out her first draft to a couple of other ELN members who are also helping to give early reviews and feedback. 

Mai Ling Chan 22:46 
So I'm just like jumping out of my seat because this is exactly why I created this network and it's working in just amazing ways. And it's creating real meaningful relationships and collaborations. And they're going to create a huge ripple effect and impact in our fields. 

Mai Ling Chan 23:04 
So. Okay. So, you know what? The fact that you're even listening to this podcast right now tells me something important, and that's that you are already taking steps to connect with our community. And I know that you're looking for people who understand your journey and who understand your vision for disability advocacy, entrepreneurship, ideation, creation, and I want you to know is I see you, and I want you to know that you're in the exact right place. 

Mai Ling Chan 23:30 
So I was thinking about this the other day. We all spend money on things that we hope will help us grow, right? Sometimes it's just that $6 or $7 coffee to help us fuel our day. I've done that. You know, okay, I'm going to get that $7 cappuccino. 

Mai Ling Chan 23:43 
But we also buy business books, right? Or we pay for expensive LinkedIn premiums, or we invest with business coaches. But here's the thing is that it doesn't always connect directly with action, right? 

Mai Ling Chan 23:57 
It doesn't always connect directly with positive activity. And what's really important is that it's not the tools. It's the people who actually connect with you and get you. And the ones who understand why accessibility isn't a checkbox, but a mission, right? 

Mai Ling Chan 24:15 
The ones who really exactly understand what you mean when you talk about inclusive design or universal access. These are the ones that are going to be so strongly connected to you. And that's what makes ELN different. 

Mai Ling Chan 24:27 
So for less than the cost of one coffee shop visit, maybe a couple of coffee shop visits, you know, you get to join a global community of exceptional leaders who actually speak your language. And we have members now from Thailand to Israel, Australia to North America, and our members are literally creating waves of change in disability advocacy and inclusion worldwide. 

Mai Ling Chan 24:50 
So I want you to think about this. Where else can you find people who instantly understand both the business and the advocacy side of what you're trying to achieve and who can help you transform your passion for disability advocacy into sustainable success? 

Mai Ling Chan 25:05 
success, right, from passion to profit. This is why members like Bruce come back to us, because we're building a community of people who truly get it, who understand your vision and your challenges. And I know and you know that that's absolutely priceless. 

Mai Ling Chan 25:22 
So I want to pause for a moment and just have you imagine something with me. Imagine walking into a room, either virtual, right, because we do zoom all the time, or in person. Imagine never having to explain the basics of your advocacy, of your work, of your therapy services, where every conversation starts from a place of understanding and where you feel truly valued. 

Mai Ling Chan 25:46 
And that's what we've created here in the Exceptional Leaders Network. So, I want to let you know that I am inviting you to be a part of this community right now. As of April 2025, it's just $19 a month and it will be increasing this summer because we have created so much more value little by little. 

Mai Ling Chan 26:02 
And this is definitely that you get what you put into it. You get out of it what you put into it, right? So I know what you've been thinking, is this the right time for me? But let me ask you, how long have you been looking for a community that really understands what you're trying to do and is willing to help you, right? 

Mai Ling Chan 26:19 
How many times have you wished for a mentor or a colleague who shares your passion, not necessarily is a business partner, but is a partner in the global understanding of what we are trying to do in the world, right? 

Mai Ling Chan 26:31 
We're trying to make a huge, amazing ripple of change in this world. So I invite you, your exceptional future is waiting with us. We are at ExceptionalLeadersNetwork.com. I spelled it with an E, I spelled it the right way. 

Mai Ling Chan 26:46 
And I invite you to use this code, podcast, all in caps, and you will get your first month free, right? I want you to join us because you shouldn't have to continue to build this all alone. This is your invitation to be a part of something bigger, a global community of leaders, and we are helping to change the way the world thinks about disability advocacy and entrepreneurship. 

Mai Ling Chan 27:07 
I invite you to join us today and don't do this alone any longer. Thank you so much, and I hope to see you in there soon. We hope you enjoyed this episode and invite you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and share the show with people you think will find value from it. 

Mai Ling Chan 27:25 
This helps the show a lot. Or have a great guest referral, reach out to us at ExLeaders at Gmail.com. And if you want exclusive tips on becoming an exceptional leader, deliver straight to your inbox, just go to ExceptionalLeaders.com and sign up for our mailing list. 

Mai Ling Chan 27:41 
Thanks for listening.